What that means is that you, the consumer, sitting at your computer, can get one of these simply by going by a web site and innocently downloading something.

So just what is spyware, adware, Trojans and all the other terms you hear floating around?

Let’s start with some quick definitions of terms.

Virus: Any program that replicates itself.

Trojan: A program or script that comes in a form that hides its true identity and purpose, or slips in by a hidden method.

Hijacker: A program or script that changes system settings, can change internet settings, and reroute web pages.

Spyware: Small programs which attempt to monitor your habits on the internet. While some spyware will attempt to stay hidden from detection, some will make it's presence known through popup advertisements related to your websurfing habits. While spyware companies claim the software is harmless, infected consumers suffer annoying advertisements, slowdowns, crashes, and other problems.

Worm: A virus that attempts to replicate itself though networked computers using shared files/drives, or vulnerabilities in the operating system.

Keyloggers: Programs that log keypresses, used to steal passwords.

Downloaders: Programs that use security flaws to download unwanted programs in the background. Virus's can use downloaders to update themselves.

Phishers: Email that comes with the purpose of stealing information. The email is normally disquised as coming from a respectable business, and may contain a link for you to "update your account".. Don't do it, it's a trick. If you have a question whether or not the email is real, then call the business and ask.

Malware: Software designed specifically to damage or disrupt a system. Can also be software that features deceptive licenses and tricks the user into installing unwanted programs alongside purposely installed software.

Adware: Software that brings targeted ads to your computer, after you provide initial consent for this task. Some Adware may hijack the ads of other companies, replacing them with its own. Adware typically will track your browsing habits and report this info to a central ad server.

Cookie: Any cookie that is shared among two or more unrelated sites for the purpose of tracking a user's browsing and/or gathering and/or sharing information which many users regard as "private.". Definitions of "private" may differ. Some consider any code "private" if it uniquely identifies a user, even if it is not their name or email address.

Now, what does all this mean to the average home user. You get up one morning, Turn on your computer, and up pops all these pop ups. Or it won’t turn on…or it’s slower than molasses in January. What do you do…you try to get help. IF you are smart, you will have read all this and have these programs at your fingertips and a place to go for help.

But we are gonna pretend you are in the first group and get you ready to get help.

Let's collect some highly respected tools. (Please do not add non-recommended tools to your system without researching them first, some software supposedly written to protect your system can cause more harm than good!)

Using these Tools should remove and prevent the majority of spyware infections!

Now let's go on to misconceptions about security.
A common misconception about security is that a firewall is all the protection you need. This is not true. A firewall will only protect against worms, and hackers attempting to access your machine through openings in your OS and network settings. It does not protect against virus's that you download and install, spyware, trojans, or hijackers. While it is useful and necessary, it's usefulness is highly exaggerated, it will not fully protect you. Nevertheless, make sure you use one!

Another common misconception is that antivirus programs will remove or delete a virus. This isn't what antivirus programs are built for. Antivirus programs are built to detect the presence of a virus, and aid in preventing a virus from infecting your machine, they are not built to remove every virus once a virus is installed. While some antivirus programs will remove a virus, they will not remove every infection. If your PC has contracted a virus, and your antivirus program reports it, you need to annotate any information your antivirus program gives you and search for more information on it's removal until you know the virus is removed.

Another misconception is that your fully protected! No matter how well you secure yourself, there is nothing that will fully protect you short of isolating the machine away from network connections and people.

HOW TO SECURE YOURSELF: OR : FINALLY THE GOOD STUFF

1: Run a firewall to protect against worms and hackers. I put this first as it's the simplest step, but as I said before, in terms of security it's not going to keep you safe by itself. What firewall you use is up to you. My personal recommendation is ZoneAlarm Free. http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp

3: Secure your browser. This is where it gets a bit complicated. There are many ways to do this, and many programs that will aid in doing it. One of the best approaches is to run a alternative browser, such as Firefox http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ , which may not be as targeted by hackers as often as Internet explorer for exploits. I will relate this mainly to Internet Explorer, as it is the most common browser used. I highly recommend you enter your internet security settings by clicking tools/internet options/security tab, and setting your security to at least the medium level. Whenever you send credit card information, look for a picture of a lock on the bottom status bar of the browser. Don't send the information if the lock is not there or shows the lock open. My personal recommendation is to use portable Firefox on a USB drive. http://johnhaller.com/jh/mozilla/

4. Secure your OS. It's important to run a update for your OS as new vulnerabilities and exploits are discovered. The same is true for all your programs. Schedule time to keep your software up to date.

5. I also suggest you use a startup manager. A startup manager will aid you in getting to know what is starting up when you boot your machine. A good startup manager will also aid you in removing unwanted startup programs, and can make your machine more responsive while booting. My personal recommendation is Startup Delayer. http://www.r2.com.au/software.php?p...show=startdelay Be VERY careful here. If you do not know what you are doing, do not remove anything.

6. Watch your e-mail. If your email application allows it, then disable images in your email. Never open an attachment without virus-scanning it first. Never respond to request for personal information through a embedded link. Use spam filters.. I recommend using spampal for pop email clients. http://www.spampal.org/

7. Try an alternate email client such as Thunderbird http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/ or Eudora http://www.eudora.com/ They aren't targeted as often as Outlook or Outlook Express by hackers as often for exploits. Like Internet Explorer, Outlook/OutlookExpress is the most common mail client used. For this reason, it is also targeted. Using an alternative is a good way to avoid hackers.

Well, this is an example of a script that a security expert at one of the various forums around the internet would recommend. Make sure you are dealing with a reputable one. Check for the Alliance of Security Analysis Professionals. (ASAP http://asap.maddoktor2.com/ ) sign on the door of the site or with the person you are dealing with.

Please perform the following prior to posting an HiJack This log, The following steps will likely clean most of the garbage from your system,

First

Download Ad-Aware SE http://www.majorgeeks.com/download506.html
Use the: “Check for Updates Now” option and download the latest reference files
Use the Start button, and on the next window, select: Perform Full System Scan
Press Next, and let Ad-aware scan the hard drive
When finished, right-click the window with the entries, choose: Select All from the menu, and click Next
Once AdAware SE has removed the entries, close the program
Restart the computer
Next
Download the latest version of Spybot Search & Destroy http://www.majorgeeks.com/download2471.html
Please check it for updates, Run the program and have it fix anything it finds in Red.
Restart your computer, Next Update your Anti Virus
Next
Reboot to safe mode see http://www.spyware911.net/safemode.htm
Delete the entire contents of the below Temp folders, but not the TEMP folder itself.

Run a scan, preferably with Bitdefender. Be sure and Check Auto Clean. Make a note of anything it can’t remove
Next
Go to TrendMicro - Free Online Scan
Be sure and check Auto Clean before you do the scan. If it finds anything that it cannot clean have it delete it or make a note of the file location so you can delete it yourself.

Create a folder on the C: drive called C:\Programs\HJT.
Unzip HijackThis into this folder. Launch Hijack This, then "Do a system scan and save log file".

This will generate a text file that will list all running processes, all applications that are loaded automatically when you start Windows, and more.
Most things are harmless and needed so don't make any changes.
Post a log in a new thread started by you please.

Your likely to get help quicker if you start your own thread, Posting a HJT log in someone else’s thread gets to confusing and there is a good chance it will get overlooked.

A script like this is used almost across the board and gets help to the victim of almost any type of computer attack. Once started, it changes depending on each individual but we almost all start the same way. The reason for this is that those programs, used together give us a “big” picture of what is going on inside a person’s computer. It also cleans out as much junk as possible ahead of time.

Security is no joke…as anyone who has been at the receiving in of such a crime has found out. At worse, it can cause data lose and destruction and lose of identity. At best, it’s an annoyance and a pest.